When: Wednesday, October 30, 2019, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Where: The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Washington, DC
What: Since September 11, 2001, 3.3 million Americans have served in uniform. As of November 14, 2018, the Defense Department reports that 6,918 have died and 52,774 service members have been wounded in action, but this is just a fraction though of those who are estimated to have been adversely affected by the longest war in American history. The department’s own Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center reports that more than 380,000 have sustained traumatic brain injuries. In 2008, RAND estimated that, “Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression,” and in 2014, that there were an estimated 5.5 million military caregivers of all generations in the United States. The need for services and support continues to grow exponentially even as the numbers of killed and wounded decline, and the public’s interest and involvement wanes.
On October 30, Wounded Warrior Project and the Brookings Institution will host a panel discussion about the most pressing issues facing America’s wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and veterans.